Fifty Shades of Love
by Lucy Kent
Summary: Each chapter contains a different "Shade" of Love. Any special warnings will be included at the top of each chapter. Feel free to submit requests.
1. Love Remembered Too Late

**Love Remembered Too Late**

**Words 781**

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Lucius sat in his cell and stared down at his hands. He could feel the last of his sanity slip away as he lost the last of his hope. The first time he had ended up in this cell, the Dementors had only taken his most present memories, the ones that had sustained him. Those memories had been inconsequential. They were memories of his victories over other families, and against other politicians. But now... Lucius was glad no one was watching as he had curled himself up in the fetal position two days ago. The memories that the Dementors were taking from him were memories he had forgotten. But he was forced to relive them one last time before they were ripped away.

The sensation of losing his wife and parents had been painful, but losing his son was leaving damage he didn't think he could recover from. He let the despair take over him, he knew he did not have very many memories left. He groaned as he felt a new memory begin.

* * *

Lucius kept his face calm even as inside he wanted to growl. How a small group of Death Eaters could mess up so bad that the Dark Lord had to find a new home to reside in was beyond him. Now he had to clean up their mess and find a suitable location that his Lord would approve of.

Lucius did end up growling slightly when someone had the audacity to knock on his office door. "Enter." The word sounded hardly human as it ground it's way out of his throat. The door opened slowly and the family doctor walked in.

Dr. Tilman was hardly fazed by the anger that Lucius knew was rolling in his eyes. "Mr. Malfoy, I am here to update you about your wife." Lucius gestured for the man to continue, although he had no idea that the family doctor had been summoned. "Mrs. Malfoy has contracted a weak version of Dragon Pox typically called Salder Pox. Your wife will be fine, but your son, Draco, cannot be around her. Salder Pox is potentially fatal for young children."

This caught his attention. Draco was his heir and needed to be protected. "How long?"

"At least two weeks." Lucius sighed and waved the man out. The moment the door shut Lucius let his head fall into his hands. Who could he possibly trust to care for his only heir. He closed his eyes for a moment before he realized that he didn't trust anyone else. He would have to care for the child. Perfect.

* * *

Lucius felt the Dementors retreat and he took a breath of relief. Moments later it became clear why as Lucius heard a howl of anger rip from a recognizable throat. They must have captured Fenrir. Lucius knew that meant he had a few days relief as the Dementors would find the temptation of new memories distracting. But he knew it wouldn't be long before they would come back.

It was less than 24 hours later that they came for the rest of that memory, or at least the juiciest part.

* * *

Lucius glanced over to the corner where he had tucked the toddler into. He was surprised that even 7 days in, the child had never cried for more than a moment. At the moment his perfect son was sitting on the floor staring up at him. Lucius turned in his chair and watched as his son opened his mouth. "Fa... duh." Lucius lifted an eyebrow and watched as his son's face grew aggrivated. "Fa.. duh." Suddenly Draco's face lit up. "FADUH!"

Draco reached both of his hands toward Lucius and clutched his fists again and again. "Faduh faduh faduh!" Lucius stood up and looked down at his son who continued to clutch his fists. Cautiously Lucius bent towards his son and picked him up. Draco clutched at his robe and moments later curled into Lucius' arm. Lucius slowly sat back into his chair and Lucius looked down at his son's face. A strange warm feeling filled his chest and Lucius made a note to ask the doctor about it next time.

Suddenly, Lucius realized that his son had fallen asleep. That warm feeling spread and Lucius realized with both disgust and surprise that he was feeling affection for his son. Lucius leaned to the back of his chair and stared down at his son. He decided that he somewhat liked the warmth in his chest, and he would protect his son. From everything.

* * *

Lucius felt the memory slip away, and the for the first time since he was five years, Lucius Malfoy let a tear slip out of his eye.


	2. Love in A Small Thing

**Love In A Small Thing**

**Words: 570**

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It was a bowl that represented the Weasley household. It was a glass container that appeared small from the side, but thanks to a clever little charm cast by Mrs. Weasley it had the capacity to hold 4 gallons of water if needed. They had gotten the container from Mr. Weasley's parents as a wedding gift. It was always somewhere in the kitchen, and it was always filled with candy. It had been Mr. Weasley's idea originally. Just a place to put the mounds of candy he loved to enjoy. Then their daughter was born. Mr. Weasley found himself taking candy out of the bowl and handing it to his daughter more often than not. With the birth of their son, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hardly ate any of the candy.

The years past steadily, and their children grew up and left the house. But the Weasleys knew their children would turn up periodically, so they kept it full of all the latest candy. Occasionally Mr. Weasley would grab a candy bar from the top of the jar and break it in half to share with his wife. When Mr. Weasley was hurt on the job and had to spend 2 weeks in the hospital, Mrs. Weasley found that if she ate the candy it helped calm her down. She probably ate more candy in those 2 weeks then she had during the rest of her life.

Their candy expenses rose as their grandchildren were born. It had become a tradition around this time to take a piece of candy from the bowl the moment you walked into the kitchen. It didn't matter if you were 5 or 60. Everyone ate the candy.

Mr. Weasley sat in the kitchen watching the bowl. He thought of its history before turning down to his will and wrote its eventual fate down. Groaning around the pain in his bones, Mr. Weasley wobbled over to the bowl and eyed the single candy bar left. Part of him wanted to plan to go out to buy more, but the other part of him deemed it unimportant now.

Mr. Weasley took the candy bar and slowly made his way to his family room. There he found his wife reading one of her favorite books. Mr. Weasley smiled at the familiar sight and made his way over to her side. Slowly he sank into his own chair next to Mrs. Weasley's and took the candy out of its wrapping. She looked up at the crinkling sound before smiling at him.

Mr. Weasley concentrated hard and was able to snap the candy in half. He grinned as he handed his wife one half of the bar. She closed her book and took the piece. They both raised the candy to their mouths and ate it. Both savored the taste of it. It had been a few years since they had had a piece for themselves.

Mrs. Weasley dropped her hand between their two chairs, as she frequently did. He copied her and their fingers grasped each other with strength that had long since vanished from them both. Mrs. Weasley leaned over, as did Mr. Weasley. Their heads met in the middle and they both faced the mantle with the pictures of their large and loving family.

"I love you Ron." Mrs. Weasley said.

"I love you too Hermione." They held identical smiles until the moment their hands fell apart.

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**Well... two sentimental stories to start. Lovely. **

**Written for the Amateur Divination Game Challenge: Candy Bar**


	3. Love That Keeps You Awake

**Love That Keeps You Awake**

**Written for TheNextFolchart for being Captain and winning in the Christmas Battlefield.**

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Lily was reading her new book on Charms when there was a tapping at the window. She smiled in relief before slowly pushing herself to stand. She placed a hand on top of her large stomach before opening the window. Helga, a beautiful barn owl James had bought her for her last birthday, flew straight to her stand. Lily frowned, a worry deep in the pit of her stomach. She closed and latched the window, placing a well practiced hex for protection. Making a note to drink a potion for her swelling feet, Lily took the letter from Helga's claws. The moment she opened it, her heart stopped. This was the letter she had sent out. Her eyes shot to her clock, it was already 9 in the evening. She looked at her written plea for James to let her know he was alright. He hadn't responded. She really didn't dare to think of what that meant.

Numbly, Lily sat back in her chair and continued reading the book. It was only an hour later that she finished it, and she threw the book onto the table and made her way to the kitchen. She cleaned out her fridge, then cleaned the counters. She would have cleaned the stove, but she wasn't able to bend that way any longer. Casting _tempus_ she choked back a tear as 11:37 appeared illuminated before her. Lily rubbed her face vigorously. "He's fine." She told the empty kitchen. Her darling baby chose that time to kick her softly. She smiled down at her stomach, knowing her child was comforting her.

As she thought about her son, Lily knew what she could do next.

* * *

James quietly entered his house. Lily wasn't on the couch, so she must have gone to bed. James winced as his bruised shoulder bumped the door frame. The Order's mission for the night had gone well. It had been hard work and no one had left without more bruises than anyone had the energy to heal. He checked his watch and nearly groaned, it was almost 2 in the morning.

James turned off the lights Lily had left on for him and headed upstairs. But he paused when he noticed the light in the small bedroom was on. Peeking in, he found Lily sitting in her rocking chair. Her wand was pointed at the wall and he watched as a roller moved, covered the off-white wall with a light green color. He smiled at his wife, but then he noticed the streams of tears that she seemed unaware of.

"Lily." He whispered, hoping not to startle her. She still jerked and the roller hit the floor with a thud. Seconds later she had pulled herself from the chair and pressed her face to his chest. She began to openly sob and he just held her close. He had been foolish to assume that she would go to sleep before he came home. "I'm here love." Her fingers just clutched him closer. "Shh, it's alright. I am sorry I was so late. Shhh."

He felt her knees tremble and guided her to their bedroom. They both lay fully clothed on top of the covers, and Lily buried her face in his neck. Her tears had subsided but her arms still shook. "I won't ever leave you Lily. I'll always be here. I'll always protect you." It was only a little while later that she fell asleep. James used his wand to cover them both, and turned off the light. He pulled his sleeping wife toward him, and soon fell asleep as well.

* * *

**This was written as part of the Midnight Challenge**


	4. Dobby Would Be Happy

**Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition**

**Team: Tutshill Tornados**

**Position: Seeker**

**Word Count: 901**

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Chaos reigned throughout the Great Hall Thursday during breakfast. It had started peacefully. The eighth years had all filed into the room at the beginning of breakfast, minus a few stragglers. They had sat at their normal places at the special table set aside for them. Some mild fighting broke out on one end, and those awake early enough turned to see Draco Malfoy being held back by two Ravenclaw eighth years. The boys holding Malfoy were both whispering viciously into the blonde's ear. He seemed to be ignoring them, and still more students trickled into the hall. But it was seconds later that eyes turned to the other end of the table where Ron Weasley and Seamus Finnigan were holding back Harry Potter. It was instantly apparent that the blonde and the brunette were staring at eachother feverishly. For third years and up this was nothing particularly exciting. But nothing was truly chaotic until Harry Potter managed to shake off his friends, round the table, pull the Ravenclaws off Draco Malfoy and pull the blonde into a searing kiss.

For half-a-second the entire hall was dead silent. Most students had their silverware inches from their mouths. A few unfortunate students had already taken the bite of food, and the noise of eggs and pumpkin juice falling onto tables filled the silence. Than the half second was over and everyone made noises they would later deny. None of this was important to Draco and Harry, both already working on the button down shirt they wore under their robes. Luckily Professor McGonagall chose that moment to walk into breakfast. With a quick spell she put both boys to sleep and had them on their way to the Hospital Wing before Hermione Granger had even looked up from the form of her fainted boyfriend. The only person who seemed unaffected was Luna Lovegood who was calmly eating her toast.

* * *

Professor McGonagall rubbed at the headache that was growing behind her eyes. Why was it always those two? She had thought that after all the war had taught them, they would learn to stay out of trouble. Her thoughts were interrupted with Madam Pomfrey came out from behind the white separator. "So?"

"It's as I had feared. Both have ingested Amortentia. I would say this was an accident, since I cannot image a student doing that to these two students. But the facts are conclusive, the potion was keyed so that Harry would be after Draco Malfoy and vice versa. I would recommend speaking to the House Elves."

"Do you think they did this?"

Madam Pomfrey laughed once before shaking her head. "No, but a student may have asked them to put the potion into their juice or something. It has happened before."

"I know. What will you be doing in the meantime?"

"I'm going to contact St. Mungo's and see if they have an antidote with them. My supply seems to be missing."

McGonagall let out a heavy sigh. "Alright. Whichever student was behind this is going to have detention for months if I can help it."

* * *

Harry woke with an insatiable need to see Draco Malfoy. He could still remember the feel of the gorgeous man's lips against his. He could hear the familiar sounds of Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall to his left, so taking a chance he went right. In the next bed over was the most gorgeous blonde to have been ever born. Harry had a sudden idea and licked his lips in preparation.

* * *

Draco woke up to the most wonderful sensation. He knew instantly that the hands on his thighs belonged to the golden boy. He vaguely heard voices and knew it would be bad to make too much noise, so he used his hand to muffle any noises that might have tried to escape. His fingers tangled with the brunette's bee's nest and his head bent back.

* * *

When his fire turned green Healer Clive sent a little prayer to whatever was listening that it wasn't another sickness that may or may not be part of a pandemic. When he saw Madam Pomfrey's face his heart almost stopped. "What can I do for you dear?"

"I was hoping to grab two batches of Amortentia Antidote. I have two students who have been heavily dosed."

Inside Healer Clive released a breath of relief. He walked to his personal supplied and looked for the antidote. "I assume you have them locked up of course. With a heavy dosage..."

"The Headmistress knocked them out for at least six hours."

Healer Clive paused and turned to look at the floating head. "You may want to check on your patients."

Panic set in on the woman's face. "Why?"

"Call it healer's instincts." The connection continued and he heard her horrified gasp seconds later.

* * *

Darton the House Elf was most pleased with himself. Poor Dobby had been a good, if crazy elf. Darton knew that both Wizard Harry and Wizard Draco were close to the deceased elf's heart. Darton had watched the two Wizards dance around each other for years, and he had decided that it was all he could do to bring them together. Dobby would be happy. He had considered using elf magic, but he decided to use the love potion. The boys would be healed of magic love and come to realize their true love for one another. Dobby would be happy.


	5. Call Me Harry

**Written For the Quidditch League Fanfiction Challenge**

**Tutshill Tornadoes Seeker**

**Word Count: 1495**

* * *

When Harriet Potter woke up that morning, she could smell that Matthew was already in the kitchen cooking. She stretched a bit before pulling the blanket over their tiny bed. She crawled out of the cupboard and shut the door. Luckily none of the Durselys were downstairs yet, so she could greet her twin. From there the morning was fairly normal. The three Dursleys came down to a piping hot breakfast, with no sign of their least favorite relatives. Harriet and Matthew, or Ri and Matt, were already in the backyard. Ri was working on the vegetable garden, while Matt was cleaning out the drains. When the car with the three Dursleys drove off, Ri and Matt went inside and began to clean.

It was approximately 1pm when the explosion rocked the house. Ri had been in the kitchen while Matt was in the living room. By the time she had pushed her way into the room, she found only rubble and no sign of her brother. She dug through the pile until her hands bled. The police and to pull her away from the rubble and lock her in a car. By the next day, they had found a body. They wouldn't let her see it, and with a sinking heart she guessed why. The Dursleys hade been beyond livid. Before the week was out Ri was put in an orphanage.

Ri, however, was still in shock about her brother. When the first opportunity came, she cut her hair and renamed herself Harry. She may only be 10 but she knew that an abandoned girl was a lot dangerous to be, then an abandoned boy. She couldn't help but marvel how much she looked like Matt. The exception was the scar on her forhead that Matt hadn't had.

A month before her eleventh birthday, Harry was introduced to a family. They were rich and snobby, but looking for a companion for their son. The blonde kid held out his hand stiffly. "Draco Malfoy." With a stone in her stomach and accepted his hand. "Harry." By July 30th she had settled into her new life easily enough. It was a lot easier then living with the Dursleys had been. She only had to keep Draco entertained. When they had introduced her to magic she had turned to the father. "Can you bring back the dead?" The three Malfoy's had froze. Mr. Malfoy and Draco left the room, and Mrs. Malfoy wrapped an arm around Harry as she cried.

All four of them were surprised when Harry received a letter for Hogwarts. Harry was very relieved to find the letter addressed to "Ri" rather then Harriet. But the last name was missing, which the Malfoys found particularly odd. Harry was very surprised that the Malfoy family was willing to pay for all of her school supplies. They wrote it off as her need to represent the family.

After seeing Draco sorted into Slytherin, she begged the hat to do the same, and it acquiessed. She watched as the year went by, and Draco slowly rose in the ranks of the house with her by his side. It was on the train ride home that he shocked her. He called her his friend. She couldn't help but glow and Draco sent the summer making sure his parents knew the distiction.

It was third year that Draco had his first crush. Harry was surprised to find that her friend had fallen in love with a muggleborn Ravenclaw. She really wasn't even that pretty. Harry had better hair then her and she was dressed like a boy! But despite her private disagreement, she helped Draco write letters in secret. Harry was shocked, however, when Granger asked HER to the first Hogsmeade trip. Harry slyly got out of the situation, but instantly worried about what Draco would do when he found out. The year was chaos for Harry and she constantly had to help woo Granger while at the same time fighting off the girl's advances. It was during Christmas that she realized she had fallen in love with Draco.

When summer came around, Harry found every reason to avoid Draco. Being alone with him seemed to be pure toture. That summer she also received her period. Luckily she had been prepared, and had snuck into the girl's bathroom and listened for the proper charms. But there was nothing she could do about her occasional mood swing. It was about this time that Draco confronted her.

He pushed her into his bedroom and shut the door. She tried to aruge her way out, but he hanhandled her until he had her pinned. Despite her protests that it was a very Gryffindor approach, he demanded an explination. She struggled and refused to tell him. She felt his every movement, until she found herself just inches away from his face. She froze. He froze. She swallowed thickly and he blinked. His head started to lower but than they heard Mrs. Malfoy in the hall. He jumped back and left the room without another look.

When fourth year started, everyone noticed the sudden distance between the two. Theodore Nott tried to fill the gap. Harry didn't care. She just cared that, for some reason, Granger's eyes were on her Draco. She shook her head. He wasn't hers. Luckily the announcement of the Triwizard tournament distracted her.

Harry found a surprisingly good companionship with Victor Krum from Durmstrange. The two of them exchanged Quidditch notes. It was during Halloween that Victor cornered Harry and asked about her feelings for Draco. She immediately scoffed, saying she "only likes the opposite gender." But Victor got her by just nodding and asking her feelings for Draco again. She wasn't sure how he had figured it out, but when the two of them were alone, she was called Harriet again.

When the Yule ball was announced, Victor asked Harry. She said no, assuming it was in friendship. He had kissed her and informed her that he was asking Harriet not Harry. After a week of coaxing she gave in. She gave excuses to her dormmates, but they all assumed she didn't have a date. For the first time, she put on a dress. Using some charms she lengthened her hair and put on make-up. She felt silly, but he assured her that no one could recognize her. But the night started on a sour note when the first thing she saw when she walked through the door was Draco. Who was standing arm in arm with Hermione Granger.

Victor pulled her into the Champions dance and destracted her. She teased him when he announced that his good friend would be arriving that night. He took it all in stride. They were dancing to a fast song when his face lit up. His friend had arrived. They both made their way over, and she found a familiar back. Draco seemed to be arguing with someone. When she finally saw who she froze. There, standing in the Bulgarian uniform, was her male-self.

"Serious Harry. This isnt funny. You didn't have to lie, you could have said you were..."

"Ri?" The Bulgarian had spotted her. Harry's knees almost buckled, but the man grabbed her before she could fall. "Ri... is it you?"

"Do you know my date Matt?" Krum asked slightly confused.

Ri started to cry. Matt pulled her into a hug. It didn't take long for the story to get out from there. Matt had been attacked by a robber. The explosion had been accidental magic. He had forgotten everything for about a year. By the time he had remembered, he had assumed she had died in the blast. He had moved to Bulgaria and attended Durmstrange.

Throughout all of this, Draco and Victor were silent. When the tale ended, Draco said goodnight to Granger and left. Ri hesistated, but Victor pushed her toward the door. "Dont worry. I'll explain."

"I'm sorry Victor." He kissed her cheek. Ri ran after Draco and called his name. He didn't stop. Finally, regardless of her dress, she tackled him. "Draco, I'm sorry I lied."

"That's it?" He growled from under her. "We have been friends for at least 5 years now, and you couldn't trust me with this? This past year I have been going crazy! My parents might accept a muggleborn, but another guy?" Draco growled again and rolled them over.

"Do you think any of this has been easy for me? And on top of it all... watching you with Granger... I just..." He kissed her. It wasn't until a Hufflepuff wandered down the hall did they realize where they were. "Well.. That makes things a bit easier." He huffed a laugh. "What do you think your parents will think?"

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they didn't already know."

"True."

"So." He brushed some hair from her face. "What is your name?"

"Harriet Potter. But you can call me Harry."


	6. It's Crushing Me

**Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition**

**Team: Tutshill Tornados**

**Position: Seeker**

**Word Count: 1,125**

* * *

Harry didn't know when it started. But at somepoint he had started to grow interested a teacher. Not just any teacher. Oh no, this teacher was in a class all his own. It had all started in sixth year when Dumbledore had insisted that they train together. Harry had been nervous but determined to master this new skill.

When he had walked into the Dueling lesson and seen Professor Flitwick, nervousness had pooled into the pit of his stomach. At the time he had just decided it was because of the man's presense. Just inside the door he had stopped and watched the teacher. Harry took in the battle ready robes the man wore. They were a dark brown color and even as the man moved, it stayed out of his way. Slowly the man twirled across the floor with his wand pointed firmly at the wall. Harry couldn't be one hundred percent sure, but it looked like Flitwick kept his wand pointed at one spot only. Harry had felt his heart jump to his throat. It had been amazing. Now Harry was starting to realize that it was the man who was incredible.

"Pay attention Harry. This part is important." Harry shook the thoughts from his head and steadied his stance. "Close, very close. But here..." Harry felt a featherlight touch on his thigh. He automatically adjusted his stance but inside all he could feel was awareness. "Good good. Now you need to roll your heels back after firing the shot. Back and forth. This keeps your blood flowing, and also helps you time your spells." Two hands gripped Harry's hips.

Harry gulped nervously but kept his eyes on the wall in front of him. He lifted his wand and fired a spell, the hands rocked him back and than when he was forward again he released another spell. After a few rounds of this Harry's mind was in a bit of haze. His eyes and body was focused forward, but his mind was absorbed in the attention of the man behind him. Harry released another spell, but it sputtered and died before hitting the wall.

Harry felt his face flood with blood and looked down shamefully. Unfortunately the Professor was short enough, that once he came around to Harry's front, Harry couldn't avoid his gaze. "What happened Harry?"

Harry bit his bottom lip nervously, unsure how to answer. Part of him wanted to confess his newfound attraction, but he knew what the man's reaction would be. So instead and shook his head shamefully and closed his eyes.

Harry heard the man sigh softly before he felt a hand on top of his. "It's ok Harry. We all know that this is a lot to bear for one person. If I could help you more then this, I would."

Harry's eyes shot open. "Sir you are a great help." He felt his face turn red again and quickly closed his eyes again.

Flitwick chuckled slightly and Harry reveled in the moments where he could hear that sound. "Thank you Harry. Why don't we stop here for today?" Harry wanted to argue, but he didn't want to impose on the man who was so important to him, so he nodded. As his eyes were still shut, he didn't know where Flitwick had gone. He let out a big breath, opened his eyes and found himself staring straight into his professor's eyes. The man lifted his hand for a moment before dropping it. "Go on Harry. I'm sure you would enjoy more time with your friends."

"Thank you sir." The words almost didn't come out of his mouth. Speaking of, Harry suddenly found himself staring at his teacher's. He only had a few seconds before the man had completely turned around, but it was just enough to frustrate him more. Harry paused for only a moment before turning and leaving the room.

He didn't stop in the hallway. Harry walked all the way to Gryffindor tower and threw himself onto the couch by the fire. Harry was so absorbed with his thoughts he had failed to notice the loveseat's occupants.

Ginny pulled away from Dean and looked over to Harry. He looked like shit. She had no doubt that he had found his first love. It hurt her heart a little that she wasn't it, but she still like Harry as a friend enough not to punish him for this. She saw tears of frustration fill his eyes before he threw himself backwards. Ginny looked to Dean and found her boyfriend looking at Harry with his eyebrows raised.

Ginny tapped his shoulder to get his attention. Silently she gestured to Harry and he smiled. Dean kissed her softly before leaving. Ginny stood up and sat next to Harry. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry startled and turned large green eyes at her. "Talk about what?"

"Your crush."

Harry gulped and she watched as his face turned red. A small part of her grew angry that she wasn't really the cause of it, but she quickly squashed it. She heard him mumble "No." before he turned his body from her and leaned against the arm of the couch.

Ginny shrugged and pulled out a nail file and began to work on her nails. In her head she was counting. She reached 27 before he let out a huff of frustration and turned toward her. "What do you do when you like a professor?"

Ginny felt her eyebrows raise up before she shook her surprise away. She sat up, turned to face him, and tucked her feet beneath her. "Do you think anything would come of it if you told this person?"

"No he... I mean the professor couldn't possibly return my feelings." Ginny had caught the slip. But she could also see Harry's eyes begging her not to ask. So she didn't.

"Than you do nothing." His shoulders slumped. "I mean you coudl find yourself a person to mess around with and get rid of any frustration." He turned shocked eyes to her. "Not that I think you should. But I know a lot of guys do that kind of thing when they have an unrequitted love."

She saw Harry's eyes grow angry. "Who did it to you?"

Ginny let out a small laugh. "It doesn't matter. Anyway. What will you do?"

"Live through my..."

"Attraction." She supplied.

He glared at her. "... until the end of the school year. Than I will get over it during the Summer."

"Than you have a plan."

"Yes."

"Good." Ginny put her feet on Harry's lap and lay back. Closing her eyes, she decided it would be to her benefit to truely get over her crush of Harry.


	7. Trying New Things

**Written for the Quidditch Fanfiction League Competition**

**Team: Tutshill Torados**

**Position: Seeker**

**Word Count: 2453**

**Warning: This features a bit of boyxboy(xboy) love. Rated T for some Smooches but that's all.**

**Enjoy**

* * *

Ron was glaring murderously at his brother. George smiled smugly back so Ron turned his head to glare at Harry. Harry looked a little sheepish but shrugged his shoulders. With a sigh he stood up and went to the bartender. Licking his lips nervously, he leaned on the counter and whispered his request to the man. The bartender only laughed before nodding his head. Feeling disgruntled that the man hadn't turned him down, Ron cast sonorus onto himself, took a deep breath and began to sing the Gryffindor version of "Weasley is our King." Silence spread through all the other occupants of the bar, though Harry and company soon broke into loud bouts of laughter. Ron forced himself through the whole song, and by the end the bar had joined to sing the chorus. Despite his red face, Ron held his chin high as he made his way over to his supposed friends.

Harry clapped him on the back. Ron turned his eyes to his brother and then with a smirk said "George." George grinned and turned his eyes to Harry. Ron supposed that George couldn't dread playing, it was his game after all. It was the Bachelor party version of Truth or Dare. Except George called it "Playing God." Essentially the person who was "God", or Harry in this case, had complete control. One person starts and chooses truth or dare, God gives them what they asked for, than the person chooses the next person to go. If the person didn't want to do what God had commanded, they had to spend the rest of the night transformed into an ugly woman. Needless to say, no one wanted to say no.

George was forced to lap dance a random woman, who seemed to enjoy the show, by Dean's prompting. George of course turned his attention to the man. George whispered into Harry's ear and the man grinned drunkenly. "Truth or dare Dean?" Dean glanced nervously at George before saying. "Dare."

Harry grinned ear to ear and Dean groaned slightly. "You are commanded to do something you have always wanted to do, but are normally too embarrassed to do." Dean's face paled and Seamus leaned over and patted him on the back. Dean closed his eyes, to gather his confidence, Ron supposed, before he stood. The four men watched as their friend walked over to Ron. Dean gave him a nervous grin before climbing onto Ron's lap. Ron froze until he felt a pair of lips press against his. Ron didn't know what to do, he had never even considered that he might be in this position one day. But as Dean started to pull back, Ron found his hands pulling his friend closer and he began to kiss him back. When he realized what he had done, Ron sat back. He quickly glance at his friends. Seamus and George looked way too interested, Harry had merely quirked an eyebrow. Dean looked smug before he climbed off of Ron and ordered everyone another round. A drink later and the weird atmosphere was gone, though it seemed to burn in Ron's memory.

* * *

Throughout the entire wedding Ron continually thrust that kiss from his mind. He refused to think about it. But he just didn't understand why he hadn't pushed Dean away. By the reception his mind was a mess. He was grateful to slip away and stand outside and think for a while. But his solitude didn't last. Ron looked up at a noise and found Dean and Seamus standing there. Ron turned his eyes outward and felt them stand on either side of him. None of them said anything for a while.

Seamus broke the silence. "Ron." The way he said it, like trying not to scare him away, caused Ron to look at his friend warily. Seamus looked up at the sky. "Did you know that Dean and I are dating." Ron felt a rock drop in his stomach, though he didn't know why. But he shook his head in the negative. Seamus looked down and caught his eyes and Ron froze. "Does that bother you?" Ron felt that it should because it was two guys. But it didn't. Some part of his brain asked him if he was jealous of Seamus. But he really wasn't. So Ron shook his head. Seamus looked over his shoulder, probably at Dean.

Ron froze when he felt Dean's hand on his shoulder. "Ron. When I kissed you last night..."

Ron shook his head, though he kept his eyes on Seamus. "It's ok, it really doesn't bother me."

Seamus smiled softly at Ron. "That's not what he means."

"Please look at me." Ron slowly turned to look at Dean. "Ron, I kissed you because I have wanted to since third year. It was partially because I wanted to be with you, but mostly because I was curious how you would react."

"I'm not gay." Ron said, when Dean merely continued to watch him. "I'm not! I have always been attracted to girls, really and truely. I haven't been pretending."

"Ron." Was all Dean had to say to stop Ron from talking. "May I try something?"

Ron felt a growing anticipation in his stomach, he had a pretty good idea what Dean was suggesting, and he found himself nodding. Suddenly he was being kissed. He wanted to be disgusted by it, tried to be disgusted by it. But his body seemed to betray him. It felt wonderful, but it didn't feel any different then kissing a girl. Dean pulled back, and Ron found himself being turned around. Seamus smirked at him before Ron was being kissed again. Ron found he still liked kissing. So it wasn't just Dean, did that mean... Ron lost his train of thought as he was pressed up against by Dean and Seamus pressed to his front. A moan slipped from him and he felt Dean start to pepper kisses on his neck.

A gasp interrupted them, and all three turned to see Hermione there. "Shit shit shit shit." Ron said detangling himself from the other two and walking toward his Fiancee. "Hermione..." She held up a hand.

"Not right here Ronald. Let's go inside."

They found an empty room and Hermione stood between him and the door. She watched him, seemingly calm, but he could see the tears in her eyes. He didn't know where to start, he loved Hermione. She took a deep breath. "Are you gay?" Ron shook his head. "Are you Bisexual?" Bisexual... the more Ron thought about it, the more it made sense. But than again he hadn't ever kissed a guy, or imagined it really before yesterday.

"I don't know..." She bit her bottom lip and her tears grew. "Please don't cry..." Ron walked toward her, and she allowed him to wrap her in a hug. "Gods Hermione, I love you. I really really love you. I just... last night it was a dare and..." Ron dropped his forehead onto her shoulder. "Fuck. I don't know."

She continued to let him hold her for a few minutes before she pulled from his embrace. He could see the hurt in her eyes and it tore his heart. He suddenly feared what she would say. "I love you Ron." He opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off. "But..." Ron's stomach turned to lead. "But we will always wonder, won't we?"

"I won't. I know I love you."

A tear slipped down her cheek as she smiled at him. "I know Ron. But, we need to know for sure. For the rest of this party we should act as though nothing is wrong. But tomorrow..." Ron took a step forwardd. Her gaze harded with determination. "Tomorrow we are going to take a break."

"A break?"

Hermione nodded her head. "Yes, a break. For one year. And if you still want to be with me after a year, we will get back together."

"But..."

"No, Ron. For the next year we will both try new things."

Ron gulped. "Both of us..."

"Yes." Hermoine grew slightly angry, he could tell by her eyes, although her voice gave no indication of it. "If you have the chance to explore new venues, I do too."

"But.."

"No Ronald! That's final." Hermione turned and walked out. Ron found himself staring at the door in shock. A year. A whole year without Hermione. Ron wanted to be angry at her, but found that he couldn't. He took a deep breath it, forced his mouth into a smile and walked out.

The rest of the reception they pretended to be as happy as they had ever been. But when Hermione left for the night, Ron felt a sense of foreboading.

* * *

Two weeks later, Ron finally gathered his courage to approach Dean and Seamus at their house. They hadn't actually spoken since that night. When Ron timidly knocked on the door, he hoped that they weren't there. But the door opened and Ron found himself looking at Dean. There was no grin on the man's face. Ron started to doubt coming here, when Dean literally pulled him in.

When Ron found himself sitting on the couch with a cup of tea, he felt his brain catch up. It had been stuck by the door where Dean had given him a quick peck on the lips before guiding him down the hallway. Now Ron looked up at the two sitting opposite him. He opened his mouth, but found he had no idea what to say so he closed it again. But the other two weren't saying anything, they were just watching him. So he tried again, the first words that came to mind were, "I'm not going at talking."

The two shared a look. "We know that Ron." Seamus said with a small smile. "We did share a dorm for 6 years."

"Right."

Silence again. Ron took the opportunity to really look at the two. They were sitting closer than he had ever noticed before, although it seemed natural. He watched as they shared a silent conversation and he couldn't help but marvel at their differing profiles. A lump grew in his throat and he swallowed it. He suddenly couldn't remember why he had come here in the first place. Two sets of eyes turned toward him and he froze.

He watched as they both stood and sat on either side of him. He felt their thighs press against his. He closed his eyes. "We aren't going to kiss you Ron." Seamus said from his right.

Ron's eyes sought him out. Disappointment filled him. "Why not?"

"Because," Ron turned to Dean. "We are serious about you." Ron couldn't find words. "We know that two guys dating is a bit unusual here, but three is hard to take. We don't mind. But you have Hermione for one."

"I don't." Both bodies froze. Ron turned to stare at where his hands were on his knees. "We're... taking a break."

"Oh." Seamus leaned a little away.

"Look Ron, we talked about it since the wedding. We would like to date you."

Ron licked his lips and looked at Dean. "Ok."

All three of them froze this time. Seamus moved first and put a hand on top of Ron's. "Ok?"

"Well..." Ron looked up. "I mean, it's not that... I..." What did he want? He heard Hermione's voice. _We need to know for sure_. "You guys are my friends. I want to be honest." Both men sat a little further away from him. Ron felt that the room was colder for it. "Hermione and I... we're taking a break." The next words got stuck.

"You said that." Dean spoke softly.

"It's a break for a year. Then we'll get back... well... we'll see if we... I mean she..."

"Why are you here Ron?" Seamus asked, and Ron could heard a soft undertone of sadness.

"I don't know." Seamus stood and Ron grabbed the man's wrist before he thought about it. "Seamus, I..." When Ron met Seamus' eyes he felt horrible. He let go of the wrist.

"Ron." Ron turned to Dean. "Why are you here?"

"I..." A hand rested on his shoulder and Ron was glad that Seamus hadn't left. "I want to be sure."

"Sure?"

"That I would be... I would be happy with Hermione."

"Do you love Hermione?"

"Yes! But... I... you two..." Ron fizzled out.

"Ron. Think about it. Come back when you have figured it out."

Ron nodded and they stood and walked toward the door. Ron found himself hoping for a goodbye kiss. He was disappointed when he didn't get one. By the time he made it back to the Burrow and up to his room, he was more confused than ever.

* * *

Harry and Ginny decided to celebrate their first wedding anniversary with their friends. They were waiting at the doors for the last 2 people when they both arrived. Ron and Hermione walked toward to the doors chatting lightly to one another. Ginny quirked an eyebrow at Harry and he let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps their arguements were over. Hermione and Ron gave Harry and Ginny hugs and the four walked into the gathering.

Both watched as the two went in seperate direction. Harry was still somewhat... curious about the three men sitting in the corner. He had never expected Ron to date Dean and Seamus. But as he glanced over to Hermione he knew that her new companion was far more of a surprise. He had never expected to have to invite Draco Malfoy here.

Later, as Ron finished his third drink he leaned heavily on Seamus. "Ron, you are drunk." His boyfriend whispered.

"No." Ron disagreed.

Dean chuckled. "Ron, you are drunk."

Ron raised a hand in mock salute. "Yessir."

"Dean. He's _really_ drunk." Seamus said with worry. Three drinks usually didn't do anything to the redhead.

"Let's get him home." Seamus nodded and the three made their way out of the room. Ron hiccuped and Seamus quickly apparated them to their house. The moment they arrived Ron sobered completely.

"FINALLY!" Seamus' eyes grew wide as he was tackled by Ron and Dean started to laugh. "The year is over. No more waiting." Ron reached up and pulled Dean onto the pile and felt content to be squished.


	8. Green Apples

**A fun little bit on my take of the Drapple Fan-Base**

**Written for the School of Prompts**

**Prompt: Fasten**

**Word Count: 245**

* * *

I saw it. That was all it took for my attention to fasten firmly on it and only it. I could hardly breathe, and with every second it grew harder to do so. I heard a vague sound from the Gryffindor table, but what do I care for Gryffindorks? My hand was shaking as I reached for it. The smooth feeling of it's skin almost did me in. I heard one of my many admirers say something to me, but I didn't care. What did it matter? But I nodded slowly pretending that I had even heard the sentence. Rather, I was astounded by how quickly my mouth filled with saliva. So much of me wanted to lick it. So I did. It tasted vaguely of dirt and I made a note somewhere in the back of my mind to scold the house elves for it. Then I took a bite. The skin resisted me at first, but I was more powerful and soon my teeth dug into the juicy meat. The juices spilled out the sides and my tongue worked quickly to not waste a drop. I ripped the meat away from the body and slowly began to chew. The crunching soon fading as I pulverized it. I swallowed. Delicious.

I glanced up for a moment. I spotted a pair of eyes that matched the color of my fruit. I couldn't help licking my lips. I wouldn't mind taking a bite of that either.


	9. Brothers

**Written for the Matchmaker Game**

**Percy Weasley/Charlie Weasley**

**(One-sided)**

**Warnings: Vague M/M indication... kinda.**

**Word Count: 263**

* * *

Charlie had always been an exciting person. He would jump from the tallest trees in the park, he would eat the biggest bugs, and he never cried. These are some of my first memories of Charlie, and they are still true nearly 20 years later. I used to try and be like that too. I wanted to be just like Charlie. Then I had turned 13. I had had a dream. A horrible, grotesque, disturbing dream. At first, I had only been slightly disturbed by them. Oh yes, them. They came all the time. They came in my nights, and even in my daydreams. But then I learned what an abomination it would be for me to continue to have those dreams. By the time I was 15 I had found myself a girlfriend and had distracted my mind. Penelope was beautiful. Well at least beautiful in that she didn't remind me of Charlie. Except her eyes.

It was not long later I made a mistake. It was the eyes. I shouldn't have looked into those eyes. I started to say his name. I stopped myself. But Penelope had heard. She had assumed I had been talking about a Ravenclaw, but I wasn't. I knew it. I decided to change from then on. The world was the way it was for a reason. I would help keep it that way. Laws over family. Politicians over family. Me over him. I couldn't let myself think that. No. We are not anywhere near each other. We are separate. We are different. We are brothers.


	10. Secrets

**Written for the Matchmaker Game Challenge**

**Severus Snape/ Katie Bell (unrequitted0**

**Word Count 627**

* * *

Katie had let down her guard. She felt all of her secrets resting on the tip of her tongue. She didn't have many of them, but the ones she kept were her darkest ones. A black figure in her mind's eye reminded her of the darkest secret. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them to look defiantly at Fred and George. She wanted to demand an explanation, but she worried that opening her mouth would cause something terrible.

Fred lifted his hands. "Don't worry Katie dear, the secrets won't actually come out." Katie swallowed around her dry throat. She was tempted to test that, but they had already tricked her once, she wouldn't fall for it again.

George took one of her hands and held onto it despite Katie trying to yank it away. Fred soon copied is twin. "Really Katie. We wouldn't do that to you. However, the feeling won't go away until you answer three questions of ours. But you can choose whether or not to answer." Katie reluctantly nodded. Madam Pomfrey had long given up trying to cure some of their pranks. "Question 1! Do you like Angelina or Alicia better?"

Katie glared daggers at George. How dare he ask that question! George's eyes turned wary before he release her hand. Fred, however, tugged her attention over. "Ok! Question 1 part 2! Which is the sexiest fruit?"

Katie felt her jaw drop. What kind of question was that? She guessed it wouldn't hurt to answer. "Blueberry."

Fred raised an eyebrow. "Not Banana? Hmm. Question 2. Why?"

Katie successfully yanked her hand away. She couldn't possibly tell them that it was because of her crush. Those angry eyes always seemed to smile when they had blueberry anything. And if it was fresh berries she got to see him lick his fingers. Katie shivered slightly at the recollection. George tapped her knee to get her attention. "Question 2 part 2. Hmm... Which is better? Skill or Equipment?"

"Skill!" Katie said. But then she saw the smirk in the twin's eyes and knew they weren't talking about Quidditch. She groaned and closed her eyes. "The answer still stands." Although even if _he_ had neither she would be satisfied. Not that she would ever find out. There was no chance that he would even look at her like that. No. All he had in store for her were glares. But... Katie felt her imagination stir as she imagined what might be under the man's robes. After a moment's thought she decided that he must have both skills and equipment. A smirk graced her cheeks and Fred poked her.

"Whatcha thinking of?" George asked, a smile in his voice. Katie almost answered, the secret was so close to slipping out. But Katie shook her head resolutely. "Alright. Question 3. Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

With images of her crush in her mind she couldn't keep this in, even though she would rather not hurt him. "No." Before any of them could say anymore the door to the abandoned classroom opened.

"Well. Well. Weasleys in an abandoned classroom. I do wonder what you are up to." There he stood in his glory. Severus Snape. As one, the three of them stood and rushed to a side door. Not before Snape could call out detentions for them all. They all groaned. Katie because she hated being alone with the man when her imagination ran wild. Katie felt her secrets returning to their hiding space but not before she turned and caught Snape watching her with his eyebrow raised. She wasn't sure why, but a blush spread across her cheeks and she rushed past the twins. Detention would be torture. Just like he liked it.

* * *

**I admit not my best, and not much reason for this one. Except the pairing.**

**But I just couldn't see them together.**


	11. Beaten By Love

**Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition**

**Team: Kenmare Kestrels**

**Position: Captain**

**Word Count: 1,532**

**Prompt: Why/When does Voldemort win? **

* * *

All things considered, Voldemort was pleased. Dumbledore was dead, the Ministry was his, and Harry Potter had finally been found. Voldemort smirked to himself as he fingered his shoulder-length hair. Yes. It was nice being in a 26 year old body again. His Death Eaters were absent, so Voldemort decided to reflect. He remembered the joy of returning to life. He didn't remember much of being a Horcrux, but he did remember the day he was able to absorb the life from the red-headed blood traitor. The sensation of wet tiles under his bare feet had sent shivers of sensation down his spine. The smell of the old tunnels had filled him with newfound energy. His faithful Basilisk had been thrilled to see him alive, and he had allowed her to hunt more openly. Voldemort frowned and closed his eyes for a moment. What a waste. It had not been long before Dumbledore beheaded his snake with the help of his pheonix. His return had come with two deaths, the red-head he'd killed and the mudblood his Basilisk had eaten. Voldemort ended up spending his first year of his new life traveling to various places of his childhood. Knowing himself as he did, it did not take long for him to locate the first Horcrux. Touching the ring allowed him to absorb the memories of his older self. With the memories of the past war clear in his mind, he had set out to take over the world once more.

Before Voldemort could continue on this train of thought, the doors to the Great Hall opened. Voldemort looked up from his throne to see Bellatrix Lestrange levitating a gagged and bound Harry Potter.

Voldemort found himself stunned, for a variety of reasons. First was the boy's eyes. They were... broken. That was the only word for them. There was no anger, no fear, no hope. It was unusual. Second was the boy himself. A man really. He must be... 21 or so about now. An adult by anyone's standards. Somehow, Voldemort had imagined himself facing down a unprepared child, but a man was different. Perhaps the man had been training. Voldemort narrowed his eyes and decided to be more cautious. The third stunning thing was the aura around the man. Voldemort had performed a ceremony a year after his rebirth to help him gauge to the strength of the pests that tried to get rid of him. Bellatrix had an orange burn to it. Lucius had a white cloud of sorts. Dumbledore had a pink cloak that seemed to reach out. But this man... he had an aura the deepest of purples that seemed to drip off of him. It was shockingly similar to Voldemort's own black aura.

Bellatrix made the man bow down and threw curse after curse at him. Voldemort hardly paid attention to that, or the taunts she screeched. Instead, his eyes had caught the green ones and Voldemort found it hard to look away. His plans changed. He was going to keep this man, as long as he didn't prove to be a danger. There was one way to check for that. Voldemort lifted his wand and Bellatrix jumped back. "Legilimens."

Harry Potter stood at King's Cross and watched as his friends walked away. Voldemort knew that the boy had attended his first year at Hogwarts and supposed this was when the boy was eleven. He couldn't tell. The boy looked to be too young for Hogwarts.

"Hurry up, Boy. We are leaving. Now." Voldemort turned just as Harry did to find the largest muggle the Dark Lord had ever seen. He grimaced in disgust. His repulsion only grew as he noticed the man's wife and child. He made a mental note to track them down and kill them as soon as he was finished. Such filth did not deserve to breath the same air as him. Voldemort followed Harry Potter through his memories. He allowed the faint acknowledgement the boy had a similar upbringing. But Voldemort had overcome his tormentors, and he watched as boy Potter took the abuse.

Voldemort hardly focused on a memory, except he followed the eyes, day by day. The green darkened until suddenly they broke. Voldemort paused and returned to the moment. The boy was laying on his little bed. His face was flushed, and Voldemort had no doubt that the boy was running a fever. He had probably caught a muggle disease from his relatives. Shivers raked down the body, and he clutched a threadbare blanket closer. The whispered "help" left echoes in Voldemort's own memory. But both pleas were ignored. The boy tried louder. And then his eyes broke.

Voldemort watched as Harry Potter's innate magic broke free. The boy blew his door from the hinges. The fat muggle ran toward him and fell over dead moments later. Voldemort could not help but be impressed. The memories sped by once more. Harry Potter fled the country, taking refuge in Germany. Then he secluded himself from the world. Voldemort pulled himself from the memory to see the eyes gazing steadily at him. He could find no emotion hidden in their depths. Voldemort was ashamed to admit to himself that he didn't know whether it was a lack of emotion, or a good mask. But Voldemort knew that this man was no threat to him and had him released.

It didn't take long for word to reach the world. Harry Potter was Voldemort's pet. Voldemort had half hoped for a bit of anger at the word, but Potter just sat on the steps in front of his looking nonplussed. The first emotion that reappeared was determination. Every so often the man would focus on something. His eyes would harden and he wouldn't relax until he had done whatever he had chosen to do. At first it was learning to mimic a werewolf's howl. Voldemort didn't understand why Potter wanted to imitate a mutt but he let him be. Then he was determined to learn how to move like a dementor. Voldemort was always able to sense Harry, but others soon screamed at his appearance and some fled altogether. Voldemort enjoyed every moment.

Anger prompted Harry to kill for him. The first time Harry had uttered the Killing Curse, Voldemort felt his own new emotion. A strange mixture of pride and lust. He wasn't sure what to call it. He quickly satisfied the second emotion with a nameless woman. The first, pride, he found himself expressing by running his fingers through Harry's hair. The man would sit at his feet and lean his back against Voldemort's leg, and for hours Voldemort would run his hand through the silky tresses. No one dared comment on the gesture, and Voldemort found his own anger abated. A variety of emotions returned before one capture Voldemort's interest. These emotions came in small controlled bursts and would always fade soon after.

A half-blood family had come to his court demanding things of him. They saw it as a plead, but he could see the greed in their eyes. His hand was in Harry's hair, and on impulse he pushed Harry's head forward a slightly. The man shot forward like a dart and soon the family was dead. Harry looked up, and the desire in his eyes had Voldemort banishing everyone from the room and taking Harry on top of the blood from the decapitated wife. Every emotion seemed to fill Harry as they fulfilled their mutual desire and his broken eyed man became a flame that Voldemort wanted at his side forever.

A year later Voldemort saw the new emotion long before Harry recognized it himself. It gave him time to consider his options. He knew that Dumbledore had always claimed Harry had won because of "love." Voldemort didn't know what the emotion felt like, but he had seen it in enough eyes to know what it meant when his Harry looked at him like that. In the end, Voldemort remained silent. When Harry realized it himself, Voldemort was able to watch the fireworks it set off. First was the look of love. Then confusion. Hesitation. A taste of fear. Denial. Then it cut off. Voldemort couldn't help but grab the man's arm and Apparate them to their bedroom.

A week later Voldemort realized the horrible truth. He loved Harry Potter right back. It wasn't as disgusting as he had thought it would be, the feeling that Harry was his. The thought of losing Harry caused a near unbearable pain in his chest. As soon as he came to the conclusion that he was in love, Voldemort couldn't help but let out a half-broken laugh. Somehow, Dumbledore had won.


	12. I remember Vincent

**Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition**

**Team: Kenmare Kestrels**

**Position: Captain**

**Prompt: Slytherin Friendship**

**Word Count: 1.045**

* * *

"I don't remember the first time I met Vincent. He and Gregory are in all of my earliest memories. I remember running through the fields with him. I think this is the clearest memory of being so young. I don't remember why Gregory wasn't there—perhaps he was sick. But Vincent and I had escaped the manor. Just outside the wards, there used to be a huge field of wild grass. I convinced Vincent to go with me. We ran as fast as we could, and the grass was higher than our heads. I was afraid of getting lost, but Vincent took my hand and promised that he could see the way back to the manor. I don't remember what we did, or how long we were free before my father's face was looming above the grass. Vincent told my father it had been his idea. My father punished him.

When I was a young boy, I always assumed that they were my brothers. Sure, they had different parents, but the three of us were always together. That meant brothers. I always called them that. Never within my parents hearing, but that was because my parents insisted I call everyone by their names. No nicknames. I never noticed that the two didn't echo the sentiment back. I remember sitting in my bedroom with the two of them. We were playing with a potion's kit and the word came out. I didn't realize my father was behind me. I didn't see them for two weeks. My father decided I needed to learn about the Malfoy family and why I was not their brother. I learned the lesson. I learned never to call them brother again. And I didn't.

Once we were ten, I had created a wall between us. I didn't want my father to part me from them again. I don't know what their parents said to them, but Vincent and Gregory never acted like things had changed. And I guess for them, it hadn't. Once I received my letter, I was separated from them once again. For three months, I didn't see hide or hear of them, and I missed them desperately. But I had learned to keep that hidden from my face. It wasn't until years later that the boys confessed that the time was spent in lessons. Lessons on how to never best me, to protect me, and to report back on my every move.

In Hogwarts, everyone assumed they were my lackeys, or my minions. The Gryffindors called them that often enough. Gregory seemed content with this lot. But Vincent was often the one to lose his cool under these accusations. It was in third year that I finally made him confess. He hated the position his father forced him into. He hated that he had to stand behind me in so many things. I was a fool at that time. I grew angry with his words. I accused him of being a traitor. I think in many ways, that was when my friendship with him began to fracture.

The years passed, and Gregory was ever the solid rock. He was always nearby when Vincent would sulk quietly to himself. I think my friendship with Vincent would have completely vanished by fifth year if it weren't for Gregory's steadying words. He was always the calmest of the three of us. But somehow, that year our friendship began to mend. I know the Gryffindors would never call what we had a friendship, but it was as much of a friendship as we could show. At the end of the year, he confessed that after Hogwarts he wanted to escape from his father and the Death Eaters. That he wanted to study Herbology again. I urged him to do so.

Everything changed again the next year. I had… a task. I knew I wouldn't complete it. I knew that because of me someone was going to die. Either my parents. Or my friends. So I cut them off. For the Gryffindors and the eyes that watched us, Gregory and Vincent were still my constant companions. But behind closed doors, we were strangers. In the stress, I made a mistake. A mistake that ultimately caused Vincent his life. I told him he would never be good enough. That he would never be good enough to go where he wanted. To do what he wanted. Vincent snapped. His wand remained in his hand, but he told me. He said he would prove that he was more useful than a guard to a… well...to me. He would prove his use so that he would be allowed to do what he wanted. I accused him of settling. Gregory had to use his healing skills on us both. When I nearly died, Vincent mocked me in private. That summer, he was required to be by my side, but he never spoke to me. He never looked at me. I wonder if he spoke to Gregory. Maybe Gregory will forgive me enough to tell me one day.

I remember entering the room. And I remember his words. We were finished, my family and I. When I first heard the words, I thought that he was mocking me. I hated him so much in that moment. But then, I remember … I remember climbing the… and the fire was so close. He helped me climb. Vincent. He pushed me to the top. Gregory pulled me the rest of the way and I turned to… he was already… he told me to run. Told me that his father was in charge of making sure that my family didn't survive long after the battle. He was still trying to climb, but I remember his scream… Potter came not long after I lost sight of him."

Malfoy looked up at the empty room before him. He wiped the tears had escaped and looked around. No one had come to Vincent's funeral. Of course not. Who would come? Vincent's family was either dead or in Azkaban. Gregory hadn't spoken to him since after the battle. There was no one there to watch as Malfoy's mask broke and he finally let out of a sob. The sound echoed around the room. And no one cared.


End file.
